Skip to main content

Seal of approval for Sika

Skikaflex Construction by UK-based Sika was chosen by Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint Venture to seal movement joints during the widening of one of Europe’s busiest motorways. The M25, also known as the London Orbital, handles around 200,000 vehicles every day on its busiest sections. Its widening between junctions 27 and 30 is said to be delivering much needed extra capacity to tackle congestion and improve journey times.
June 22, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Skikaflex Construction  by UK-based Sika was chosen by 2296 Skanska 1146 Balfour Beatty Joint Venture to seal movement joints during the widening of one of Europe’s busiest motorways.

The M25, also known as the London Orbital, handles around 200,000 vehicles every day on its busiest sections. Its widening between junctions 27 and 30 is said to be delivering much needed extra capacity to tackle congestion and improve journey times.

In 2002, the London Orbital Multi Model Study (ORBIT) was tasked with addressing the problem. The ORBIT report recommended that most of the dual 3 lane sections of the M25 should be widened to 4 lanes.

The widening project is being carried out by Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint Venture for Connect Plus, working on behalf of the 2309 Highways Agency, as part of the Design Build Finance and Operate Contract for the M25.                                                   

Said to be a high performance product, Sikaflex Construction (SC) has been used to seal the vertical movement joints of the newly constructed reinforced concrete walls at the Emergency Access Routes situated behind the embankment piers of the widened motorway section.  It has also been used to seal the horizontal movement joints of the newly constructed reinforced concrete pier protection and pier strengthening at various bridge locations between junctions 27 and 30.

SC was used to create what was said to be a 100% watertight seal. A one part polyurethane sealant, it is also described as a versatile sealant that can be used for a variety of construction and civil engineering purposes. Said to be easy to install and environmentally friendly, the SC is stain resistant and can be over painted. Crucially, once installed it provides a seal that is impregnable by water, dirt, dust and chemicals.

Available in four standard colours, SC is supplied in 600cc foil sausages for easy on site application by gun. Conforming to ISO 11600 Class F25HM/F20LM, it offers a cost effective method of sealing construction joints of up to 35mm.

Chosen for what was said to be its tear resistance and ability to withstand dirt, water and chemical attack, Sika said its SC provided the ideal solution to protect the concrete retaining walls on the M25.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tensar’s route to Euro 2012
    July 20, 2012
    Tensar International’s TriAx design solution has been used in the sub-base for the 17.9km Gdansk bypass in Poland. TriAx is said to be helping to combat the differential settlement across the poor soil of the Wistula river delta and to minimise frost heave caused by Poland’s severe winters. TriAx is said to be helping to combat the differential settlement across the poor soil of the Wistula river delta and to minimise frost heave caused by Poland’s severe winters.
  • Balfour Beatty in 10-year extension to Exeter-Bere Regis road deal
    May 8, 2015
    A Balfour Beatty joint venture with South West Highways has been awarded a €55 million 10-year extension to its contract for operations and maintenance on the 102km A30/A35 main Exeter to Bere Regis road. The contract is on behalf of Connect Roads for ultimate customer Highways England, the newly named government roads agency. The joint venture – SWHBBIS - was appointed as the operations and maintenance contractor for this stretch of the trunk road in 1996. In 2006, the joint venture was re-appointed
  • Bridge project uses high performing formwork
    February 20, 2012
    Doka designed and supplied a high-performing formwork technology solution for a challenging bridge project south of the German town of Halle. The 8,614m long single-cell box girder superstructure of the Saale-Elster Viaduct, with a typical cross section width of 13.9m, is borne on 220 piers, and has a constructional depth of 4m. It is mainly being erected on launching girders to minimise the impact on flora and fauna.
  • £317 million UK highway project delayed
    February 12, 2025
    A £317 million UK highway project is delayed.